A bid to bring a pharmacy to Whitlawburn was given a welcome boost last week when James Kelly MSP met with Scottish health minister Michael Matheson.

Last month, James took the case for a pharmacy in Whitlawburn on the floor of the Scottish Parliament, and arranged to personally discuss the issue with the Minister for Public Health.

The fight for a pharmacy in Whitlawburn has been ongoing for three years.

Pharmacists David Dryden and Michael Balmer, who own a chemist in Spittal, want to open the facility on the site of the old Racing Colours bookie’s on Western Road.

Two hearings, a re-hearing and two appeals processes have already looked at the application, which have been rejected. Last month, a Pharmacy Practices Committee (PPC) due to consider the latest application had been scrapped due to ill health.

It was the second time a hearing has been cancelled. In March a National Appeal Panel referred the issue back to a PPC just days before they were due to convene after pressure from Community Pharmacy Scotland.

James has now held face to face talks with the Minister for Public Health, Michael Mathieson, over concerns about the process for pharmacy applications. James secured the meeting as a result of the campaign for a pharmacy in Whitlawburn in what is one of the most deprived areas in the county.

The MSP invited Paul Farrell, the director of the West Whitlawburn Housing Co-op, to join him at the meeting to ensure the Scottish Government listens to local voices and concerns.

A recent survey conducted by Mr Kelly saw over 90 per cent of people backing the pharmacy.

At the meeting, the Minister told Mr Kelly that issues around openness and transparency will be looked into which the local Labour man has pledged to monitor closely, but he is concerned over the commitment of the Scottish Government to seriously tackle the problems on pharmacy applications.

James said: “It is important the Minister and the Scottish Government listens to what we are saying and takes the necessary steps to ensure the pharmacy application process is more fair and transparent.

“The various problems we have seen with the Whitlawburn application demonstrates the current system is flawed and needs to be more open. The Minister indicated the Edinburgh government would look into this and I will follow every step of this to ensure it is not an empty gesture.

“I have raised the Whitlawburn pharmacy issue directly with the Cabinet Secretary for Health in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament and will continue to make the case on behalf of those residents who are desperately calling out for access to their own pharmacy.”

Paul Farrell, the director of the West Whitlawburn Housing Co-op, added: “We are pleased that the Minister is listening to the clear inadequacies in the current pharmacy application process and we are indebted to our MSP James Kelly for consistently highlighting the issue on our behalf. The WWHC Management Committee is unanimously in favour of supporting the provision of a local pharmacy and we believe this reflects the clear wishes of the community. Many people, locally, find the previous decisions to deny the provision of a local pharmacy quite incredible.”

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “I welcomed the opportunity to meet with James Kelly and Paul Farrell of the Whitlawburn Housing Co-operative on June 13. We had a constructive meeting and discussed a wide range of issues around this important subject.

“I will shortly be writing to James Kelly on the key points covered in the meeting.”